Second, it needs a sizeable reservoir of water to keep the tree moist and “alive” (or at least prevent it from drying out and losing all its needles) for as long as possible. A dry tree is not only ugly and messy, it’s a fire hazard. Though this is rare, it does happen—according to the National Fire Protection Association, between 2009 and 2013, Christmas trees were the source of an average of 210 home fires each year, according to a National Fire Protection Association. So how much water is enough? The National Christmas Tree Association notes that, “Generally, a tree can use up to one quart of water per day for each inch of stem diameter.” That’s 1½ gallons each day for a 6-inch-diameter tree. Larger water capacity is always better, so you’re not constantly worried about watering the tree.
This tabletop tree features snow-tipped bristle branches and This tabletop tree features snow-tipped bristle branches and is trimmed red berries and pine cones. It is pre-strung with 15 battery-operated warm white LED lights that are energy-efficient and long lasting. 6 hours ON/18 hours OFF timed operation. Seated in a burlap bag base for a rustic look this small ... More + Product Details Close
“Yes, this is a very expensive tree. However, I could not be more pleased with this purchase. I was looking for a tree to fill a 12-foot ceiling space and this fit the bill perfectly! I have had so many compliments. I love the fact that you can set the lights to be different colors and functions — white, multicolored, flashing, still, nine modes in all. Yes, it takes a while to set up, but it is well worth it.”
A big tree in your living room can make even a spacious home feel a lot smaller. At the same time, a small tree can get lost in a wide-open area. Fake Christmas trees come in a range of choices in height and fullness to work in any space. For a small home or apartment, a slim or potted tree works well, while a room with a cathedral ceiling calls for a tall, full tree. You also want to make sure your tree is big enough to hold all your treasured holiday decorations
“I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it when I first assembled it. But it’s perfect! Now that it’s all decorated and in its special spot, it’s really pretty. I like the fact that it is not really full, as we have a very small house and a full tree takes up too much space. This one is perfect. I also like the fact that the tree trunk shows! I am thinking that I can remove the Christmas ornaments and leave it up. Will put some ‘non-Christmas’ things on it and leave it up all year! Love it.”

Pre-lit trees make up 90 percent of the artificial trees sold in the US, according to the American Christmas Tree Association; incandescent bulbs still dominate, but LEDs are rapidly making inroads. LED bulbs cost a bit more up front but should last longer than incandescents, in both lifespan and durability terms. However, modern incandescents are more reliable than those of the past, and one burned-out bulb no longer necessarily causes the whole string to go dark. On pre-lit trees, you want roughly 100 bulbs (or more) per foot of tree height; less than that looks a bit sparse. Finally, you shouldn’t pay extra for the fancy flashing patterns that are increasingly common, unless you know you’ll use them. As Larry Gurino of House of Holiday confided to us, “Most people don’t use them—they just want to see them [advertised] on the box.”

With this in mind, the trio set out to cast the characters, which proved to be a daunting process. Casting for Charlie Brown proved most difficult, as it required both good acting skills but also the ability to appear nonchalant.[14] The producers picked eight-year-old Peter Robbins, already known for his roles spanning television, film, and advertisements.[15] His godmother, famous Hollywood agent Hazel McMillen, discovered Christopher Shea, who would become Linus in the special.[15] His slight lisp, according to Mendelson, gave him a "youthful sweetness," while his emotional script reading "gave him power and authority as well."[17] Tracy Stratford played the role of Lucy, with the creators being impressed by her attitude and professionalism.[18] Kathy Steinberg was the youngest of the performers, just six years old at the time of recording. Too young to read, the producers had to give her one line at a time to recite.[18] Robbins remembered Melendez did this for him as well, joking that he also mistakenly copied his Latino accent.[2] Mendelson desired to have non-actors (not "Hollywood kids") perform on the special, and he sent tape recorders home with his employees for their children to audition.[13]

Of the comments provided, most of them were from repeat buyers — which is always a great sign. They note how easy the stand makes it to decorate the tree, with no squeezing between the walls required to place ornaments on various branches. Their one callout is to ensure the stand is correctly-sized to fit your tree, which can often be confusing for faux buys. All around, most individuals were happy with their new holiday purchase.

In casting the silent comic strip characters of Peanuts, the trio pulled from their personalities.[15] Lead character Charlie Brown's voice was decided to be downbeat and nondescript ("blah," as Mendelson noted), while Lucy be bold and forthright.[15] Linus' voice, it was decided, would combine both sophistication with childlike innocence.[15] Mendelson recognized that the character of Snoopy was the strip's most popular character who seemed to seize "the best jokes," but realized they could not cast a voice for the cartoon dog. "In the process, we gained a veritable 'canine Harpo Marx,'" Mendelson later wrote.[15] Melendez suggested he provide gibberish for Snoopy's mutterings, and simply speed up the tape to prevent viewers from knowing.[15] There are no adult characters in the strip or in this special. Later specials would introduce an offscreen teacher; her lines are eschewed for the sound of a trombone as the team behind the specials found it humorous.[16]
True Needle™ Technology Balsam Hill's exclusive True Needle&tade; evergreen foliage is used to create our most realistic and luxurious artificial Christmas trees. This ultrarealistic foliage is created with injection-molded PE plastic and several different colors of pigment to mimic the structure, texture, and color of natural evergreen needles. A unique feature of True Needle™ foliage is the color variations within the branches. For example, the branch might be a brown/green while the needles start off a dark green and slowly fade to a lighter green.
Number of branch tips and shedding: If you’ve already started perusing through faux trees online, you’ve noticed that many companies specify the number of branch tips on their trees. This is because there’s a direct connection between number of tips and realism. More tips yield a more realistic tree. And just like real Christmas trees, these branch tips are also bound to shed some needles. This is especially true the first time you take the tree out of the box and set it up. The best fake Christmas trees will shed less with each year of use.

Several other species are used to a lesser extent. Less-traditional conifers are sometimes used, such as giant sequoia, Leyland cypress, Monterey cypress and eastern juniper. Various types of spruce tree are also used for Christmas trees (including the blue spruce and, less commonly, the white spruce); but spruces begin to lose their needles rapidly upon being cut, and spruce needles are often sharp, making decorating uncomfortable. Virginia pine is still available on some tree farms in the southeastern United States; however, its winter color is faded. The long-needled eastern white pine is also used there, though it is an unpopular Christmas tree in most parts of the country, owing also to its faded winter coloration and limp branches, making decorating difficult with all but the lightest ornaments. Norfolk Island pine is sometimes used, particularly in Oceania, and in Australia, some species of the genera Casuarina and Allocasuarina are also occasionally used as Christmas trees. But, by far, the most common tree is the Monterey pine. Adenanthos sericeus or Albany woolly bush is commonly sold in southern Australia as a potted living Christmas tree. Hemlock species are generally considered unsuitable as Christmas trees due to their poor needle retention and inability to support the weight of lights and ornaments.

Perhaps a good “starter tree” for a young family, it has all of the basic functionalities like quick-set technology and an included stand, lights and fuses. However, this tree’s comparatively low price point shows through in its branch tip count (just 1000 tips) and only 500 lights. Even less reassuringly, the lights are incandescent, which means you risk burnout before you’ve gotten the most out of your tree.

True Needle™ Technology Balsam Hill's exclusive True Needle&tade; evergreen foliage is used to create our most realistic and luxurious artificial Christmas trees. This ultrarealistic foliage is created with injection-molded PE plastic and several different colors of pigment to mimic the structure, texture, and color of natural evergreen needles. A unique feature of True Needle™ foliage is the color variations within the branches. For example, the branch might be a brown/green while the needles start off a dark green and slowly fade to a lighter green.
Comparing the Cinco to our pick, Wirecutter general manager David Perpich actually finds the Cinco’s bolt-tightening work to be a benefit, as he likes to have a lot of control when positioning the tree. “My take,” he says “Krinner is easier to stand up solo. Cinco is easier to make adjustments. If someone is doing this solo and ‘good enough’ works, the Krinner is a dream. If someone has a partner or wants to ability to tweak and get it just right, cinco is way better.” We’d add the Cinco is likely to be better able to compensate for crooked trees or trees with knots or other odd shapes at the point where it attaches to the stand.

Because we advised against pre-lit trees (as you typically can’t remove the lights from the tree even if they burn out), we chose to focus our research on unlit trees. That being said, we know that the convenience of a pre-lit tree is sometimes irresistible. And we have to admit, they make festive night lights. So, we’re still sharing our favorite pre-lit pick.

Join the tree skirt revolution and take the ironing out of hiding the base of your Christmas tree. Plastic tree collar assembles in just minutes by lining up the patent-pending magnetic connection points. The collar features a basket weave pattern to add depth and character and is fully washable and waterproof. Disassembles for easy post-Christmas storage.
With all of that considered I think it is the best Christmas tree possible because it made my wife smile and put us both in the holiday spirit when nothing else was possible. I'm glad we didn't deal with the big real tree that we have to put up, drag out the ornaments, keep watered, make sure the animals don’t' mess with it, and then take it all down in a few weeks. That seems like a lot of work. I doubt this will be the primary tree many years but thanks to this I don't miss a tree and can really appreciate the simplicity and the holiday.

Best Reviews included the Jack-Post model in its list of the best Christmas tree stands because the reviewers liked how it handled trees ten feet tall and larger. However, the stand lost points because the washers can get stuck inside the tree when you disassemble the unit. The Tree Stand rated this product 9.1 out of 10 because it is rust resistant, sturdy and durable, has a large water reservoir, and comes with a lifetime warranty. The10Pro also liked the metal bowl that keeps the tree steady and firm.

Ultimately though, we think that the 7.5 foot Best Choice Products is the best artificial Christmas tree. (And we promise we weren’t just swayed by the name). It’s got 1346 long branch tips that give it a full and fluffy look, even with its 52 inch width. It also seems to be a slightly lighter green color than the NTC tree, which looks nice with the warm glow of string lights.
We had hands-on time with the Tree Genie XXL Deluxe, which matches our main pick spec for spec with a couple exceptions. First, there is a bell on the end of the foot pedal that dings and locks the pedal automatically when the stand’s claws are fully tightened. Also, the claws on the XXL Deluxe loosen on the tree one pedal lift at at time, instead of releasing all at once. These are nice features, but they’re not necessary, and they add about $10 to the total cost.
Once you’ve purchased and assembled your artificial tree, you must fluff it. “Fluffing” is an (admittedly adorable) term for arranging all of the branches on the tree. It may seem like an imposing prospect but, in reality, it just requires a few simple steps repeated over and over again. This is a good time to bribe friends and family members to help you. We think a couple of hours of fluffing in return for some homemade hot chocolate is a good offer.
Our Snap Tree™ is a comprehensive and effortless tree assembly and storage solution. Simply snap the stand in, tilt it up, connect the treetop, and setup is complete. A built-in rolling stand offers you an easy way to find the perfect spot for your tree. After the holidays, conveniently store the tree on its stand with its upright custom storage bag. The Quick Set™ lighting system incorporates all light strings within the tree trunk. Light connections are automatically made while setting up, so a single plug illuminates your tree.
The Krinner has a 2½-gallon water reservoir. Of the tested stands, only the runner-up Cinco is larger, with a 3-gallon capacity. But 2½ gallons is plenty large: A tree of roughly 6 to 8 feet in height has a trunk diameter of about 4 to 6 inches, and will usually take in 1½ gallons or less per day. In fact, you should even be able to relax a little about watering, as you may not need to each day. A gauge on the tank will tell you what the water level is between fillings.
Material and flocking: Consider whether you want a tree flocked with fake snow (or glitter) or if you want something more realistic. You may also want to choose a tree that’s made with more Polyethylene (PE) than PVC, since PE is thought to pose less health risk. If you read the fine print, many tree companies will tell you what percentage of PE their tree is made with (if any).
The 6.5 ft. Snowy Pine is an Artificial The 6.5 ft. Snowy Pine is an Artificial Christmas Tree from Fraser Hill Farm. This model features a traditional full silhouette with extremely lifelike foliage and all-metal hinged branch construction. A heavily flocked finish was designed to resemble freshly fallen snow that is true to season and produces a natural ... More + Product Details Close